High River flood alert system not seeing enough registration, says mayor

The mayor of High River wonders why more local residents have not signed up for the town's alert system.

The town south of Calgarytested its emergency sirens this week that would alert the community to a potential local disaster. It was installed following widespread devastation from flooding last year.

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Mayor Craig Snodgrass says the sirens work great, but he says the alert system is even more effective because it will call, text or e-mail people's cellphones with information about any disaster.

Snodgrass says he is surprised only 3,000people out of a population of more than12,000have signed on.

"After what happened last year, and you know ... this was a big criticism that everyone had that there wasn't enough warning," he said.

Snodgrass says the sirens can only do so muchbecause they are not loud enough to be heard over other sounds, including a television playing in someone's house.

"The sirens are not going to notify you if you are in thehouse with yourTV on. The chances of you hearing itare not very good. They're not designed to blow windows out. They're not that loud."